Technical Field
The invention relates to electronic devices and methods for controlling electronic devices. More particularly, the invention relates to electronic devices configured to float in water if dropped, and methods for controlling the electronic devices.
Background Art
Some conventional electronic devices, such as transceivers, are used near water. In anticipation of being accidentally splashed with water or dropped into water, many of such electronic devices are made watertight to prevent entry of water. Japanese utility model publication No. H04-135038 discloses an electronic device configured to float on water to prevent the electronic device from sinking under water when dropped into water and thereby to allow retrieval of the device.
However, a user may be unable to find and retrieve an electronic device floating on water at nighttime or when visibility is poor. Therefore, the inventor of the present application previously invented an electronic device as disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 2013-229826 that can be found easily even when it is dropped into water at nighttime or when visibility is poor.
This electronic device includes “a submersion detector for detecting that the electronic device itself falls onto the surface of water or into water (hereinafter referred to as “submersion”) and for detecting retrieval of the electronic device from the surface of water or from under water (hereinafter referred to as “retrieval”), a illuminant provided inside a casing, a lighting circuit configured to light the illuminant in response to an input of a lighting signal, a controller configured to flash the illuminant by generating and inputting the lighting signal to the lighting circuit at predetermined flashing intervals for a period of time from the submersion at least until the retrieval, and a power control circuit for supplying power to the controller to activate the controller in a case where power is not supplied to the controller when the submersion detector detects submersion”.
In short, the electronic device upon submersion makes the illuminant light up to allow a user to easily find the electronic device if dropped into water at nighttime or when visibility is poor. As for the submersion detector, the illuminant, the lighting circuit, the controller, the power control circuit, Japanese patent publication No. 2013-229826 and its corresponding publication US 2013/0285809 is incorporated herein by reference.